


rewriting destiny

by preciousghouls



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dream Travel, F/M, Shapeshifter, Spoilers for game, more tags as chapter progresses, you is based off me tbh, you're a shapeshifter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-11 04:23:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8953549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousghouls/pseuds/preciousghouls
Summary: you wake up to find yourself in a world of dreams. a dream in the ffxv world.from the shapeshifting of human to wolf, to the voices and touch of the four, they all feel so real. even the blush that creeps onto your cheek at the sight of noctis.you're completely and utterly fucked, aren't you?





	1. when in rome, do as romans do

**Author's Note:**

> i cant get pretty boy noctis out of my mind save me from this shit-hole??  
> "you" is based off me! or at least the me i imagine in the ffxv world...
> 
> as usual, this isn't beta-ed so feel free to kill author, who also has no idea what she's doing with her life, so please forgive her for taking out her frustration by turning it into a sinful fic she regrets everythng
> 
> shapeshifter bc why not and i gain bonus points with noctis ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> except, you're not in rome. but in the ffxv world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> may regis forgive me for taking his son

You opened your eyes but you’re unsure where you are. Because you recognised the place, and there was no way in your life would this place exist in reality. You briefly remember looking at this place on screen a couple of times as others held the console in their hands, you standing in the corner as they controlled the character.

 _Lestallum._ You were standing on the outskirts of and looking into the town of Lestallum.

This was the world of Final Fantasy XV.

You turned to your right and there they were – the four of them. The Crown Prince and his companions, bickering about what was most likely silly things as they pushed the Regalia, with Ignis in the driver’s seat.

 _Just like the game._ Was this a dream?

You’re not sure whether it’s the right thing to do, but before you know it you’re already running towards them and calling out the first name that came to your mind.

“Noct –!”

The four of them stopped instantly and turned to you, weapons raised. You halted and raised your hands before you to show you’re not a threat. How could you possibly be? You briefly noticed a red ring on the index finger of your left hand that wasn’t there when you went to bed that night. It had a magical glow to it.

 _Ah. This_ is _a dream._

“I’m not your enemy or anything! Don’t worry!”

Maybe it’s how scared you sounded, or how petite you were even for a 19 year old woman with a full 1.55m, but thankfully they lost the weapons.

“You know about us.” Who could only be Ignis pushed up his glasses, his disapproving look directed at Noctis. The prince gave an easy shrug and you felt your heart leap. Fuck. You’ve always thought him attractive from behind the screen, but seeing him here, standing before you in your dream, he was handsome as heck. So handsome that you almost didn’t catch Ignis’s question.

“How?”

“Pardon?” Formal language, because they were, technically, Royal acquaintances.

“How did you find out about us? It can’t be from the radio broadcasts; I’ve checked every channel and none mentioned the Prince lives,” he added, because you totally looked like you were going to say that.

So what were you to say?

“I. Um. Er. I… Oh, you know. Word gets around fast where I’m from.”

Ignis’s eyes narrowed. “And where exactly, are you from?”

Well, crap. You don’t remember even one percent of how the FFXV world worked, or the names of people and places for that matter. “Somewhere far you probably don’t even know about!” Absolute bullshit, but it’d have to make do, one way or another.

If anything, he stood taller as Gladiolus and Prompto facepalmed, a sign that you said the wrong thing. “Is that a challenge? I believe you do know who I am? Just try me, little girl.”

You narrowed your own eyes. You didn’t think Ignis would make you feel _this_ annoyed face-to-face. You could suddenly relate to Noctis. “I’m from – from –” What kind name would sound like it belonged in the world of FFXV?

“I’m from the City of Gelatian!” There. That sounded FFXV-ish. You considered it a victory when Ignis looked taken aback at your answer. He turned to the rest.

“Was… Was there such a place?”

Noctis shrugged. You needed to stop staring at the way he rolled his shoulders. “Not that I’ve heard of.”

“Not me.”

“Me neither!”

Ignis turned back to you with a frown and took out the map you knew Cindy gave them. “Where is Gelatian located?”

There’s no way you could point it out to them, not when it didn’t exist. Not when you knew Ignis probably knew every corner of the world and held that knowledge on his fingertips.

“It doesn’t exist.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rather – it _no longer_ exists.” _Liar, liar, pants on fire._ But you can’t stop. With each lie the next came more easily. “My city was destroyed. My people, scattered, roam the nation now, making home where they can.”

Gladiolus came to stand next to Ignis. Even though he was bigger, taller, a more intimidating look than the rest, you knew from the game that he wouldn’t hurt you without good reason, and his presence helped you relax. “Where does that leave you?”

You lowered your gaze at that, because you didn’t know. “I don’t know.”

He gave a low, thoughtful hum and ushered the gang around their car for a discussion. You didn’t understand why they bothered being discreet; you could hear them clearly.

“What should we do with her? Her story might not be untrue, but she’s still suspicious.” Ah, Ignis, always the cautious one.

“She doesn’t seem like a threat,” Prompto chipped in.

“We can’t very well leave her alone. She’s alone _and_ unarmed. Daemons may get her once night falls.” You warmed up further at Gladiolu’s thoughtfulness. The three of them turned to Noctis.

“Well, Prince. What do you suggest we do?”

Noctis’s hand went to his hair, and you recognised his troubled expression. You should decline their offer. If you just walk way, maybe the dream will end. You don’t really want it to, but you _need_ it to.

“Um,” you began, then stopped. Something’s coming. You could hear it, feel the ground vibrate all the way to the tips of your fingers. With reflexes you never would’ve had in reality, you jumped for the four. 

“Get down!” As you crashed into them the spot where you stood on seconds before exploded, a long snake emerging from it. The hood you didn’t even realise you were wearing dropped, exposing animalistic ears.

What?

You reached up to touch them, and you could feel your own touch. It was real. You had pointed ears sprouting from your scalp. Without understanding how you knew the enemy was coming for you, and you deflected its attack with your claws. You had _claws._ Your lips parted and you growled as your tongue scraped your fangs. Were you… Were you a _wolf_?

A thick tail was coming in your direction, and instinct told you you wouldn’t be quick enough to dodge –

Gladiolus was suddenly standing before you, slicing at the enemy with his Greatsword. Unfortunately, like all Daemons its hide was tough and the large snake simply slid out of range.

“Wha… What are you? You’re not human!” Prompto hopped next to you, curiosity more than anything in his voice.

He wasn’t wrong. No, you certainly didn’t feel like human. What _were_ you? You thought about it. This might be the FFXV world, but this was _your_ dream. “I’m… a Shapeshifter.” You just hoped your dream would cater to your harmless lies and turn them into truths.

“Hey, why don’t y’all keep the chitchat for later? Kinda busy right now!” Gladiolus was fending off the enemy by himself. It was at least ten times larger than the five of you added up together, but you didn’t feel afraid like you would if you even saw a moth flying in your house. Was that also the effect of dreaming? You were jumping for the enemy with a roar, fangs bared, claws extended, a strange green fluid dripping from it. Poison. Your claws were poisonous, and there was satisfaction as they dug into the enemy’s flesh. Thankfully, there was no blood, or you’d faint.

As you landed, you saw Noctis hop off Prompto’s arm next to you, a movement you saw countless times in the game and a Javelin came down onto the snake’s head with a ferocity you wouldn’t have understood if you didn’t know his past as it was distracted by Prompto’s firing. Ignis finished the job with a throw of his Dual Daggers, so quick you didn’t catch it. With a hiss the snake fell, unmoving, and you cheered. Despite its size, it must’ve been a low level Daemon if it was so easy to kill.

“Finally, meat!” Noctis looked like a child with his grin, and you wondered how many days he’d gone on with his hated greens. Then in a flash you were surrounded by them, Prompto reaching out for your tail. _Shit_ , you even had a tail. It twitched and flicked away at the sudden touch.

“Woah, sorry!” You turned to glare at Prompto. “Sca~ry! It’s just, wow. A half wolf! Didn’t think such things existed!” At least he actually looked sorry. 

Ignis studied you from a respectable distance, though the way he was looking at you made you feel like a study object. Which you probably were in his eyes. “Interesting…”

“You’re a pretty good fighter,” Gladiolus commented simply with a nod of approval that made you feel proud of yourself and had your tail wagging.

Then there was Noctis, with his arms folded, seemingly uninterested at whatever was going on. Right. That was the kind of guy he was, before you recalled. Lestallum. If they were heading there, that meant Regis was already –

“Hey… Is it okay if I join you guys?” Stupid, _stupid_ mouth. Even in a dream you couldn’t keep your damned mouth shut. Now you got their attention. It’s do or die, and you don’t want to die in a dream. “Not a permanent thing! Something like temporary comrades… Just till I find a place to settle down. I mean… Since I met you guys here, it must be destiny of some sorts, right?” 

You cringed at your own choice of words. Not just cliched, but probably also words that had a huge effect on Noctis at the moment. “I already know about the quest, and I’m confident I won’t be a hindrance.” _Not_. But if you tagged along with them you’d have a higher chance of surviving before you woke from this dream.

Ignis pondered that. “Well, it is true that you’ve proven your strength… But there’s nothing solid enough for us to believe you’re on our side.”

For Astral’s sake, this man was impossible! You took a deep breath. Relax. You’re lucid dreaming. You’re in control, to some extent. You won’t be able to outsmart Ignis if you don’t remain calm.

“There’s also no reason to believe I’m _not_ on your side,” you pointed out. Sounds lame, but you know it’s the kind of thing that got Ignis thinking. “You lose nothing by letting me tag along. As Gladiolus had pointed out,” and was Gladiolus hard to pronounce; you much preferred Gladio, “I can fend for myself.”

You could almost see the gears in Ignis’s head spinning. You need to cater to him. “I can also cook.”

Now _that_ got his attention. “I can help with laundry and hunting. And I’m fairly certain I can keep the prince in check when any of you don’t have your eyes on him so he won’t do anything reckless.” _Because I sure as hell will be having my eyes on him all the time._ But even as you thought that you kept your eyes trained on Ignis, afraid of what kind of eyes Noctis may be looking at you with right now. “If you ever decide I’m a threat, you can end this setup. I leave the final decision to you, Ignis.”

His eyes widened just a little at your casual usage of his first name, but you only did that because you didn’t know the rest of his name. He was just Ignis, like how the rest were just Noctis, Gladiolus and Prompto. Then he did something unexpected. He laughed. It was a nice, rough sound that told you he didn’t laugh much.

“Well, if you know _that_ much… I think it’d be interesting to keep you on a trial period. What do you guys say?”

“You’re our brains, Ignis. If you say okay, I don’t see why not.”

“No issues here either!”

Was this for real? The guys were _agreeing_ to this? Never in your wildest dreams did you – Oh. Well. This just meant this was your wildest dream yet. All eyes were on Noctis again, and he pursed his lips, clearly unhappy with how things worked. 

“For starters, you can help get the car to the nearest gas station.”

Easy. This was a dream. No problem. You closed your eyes and imagined yourself as a creature of great strength, and felt your skin burn and bones begin to melt as your body changed shape. It was an odd and strangely uncomfortable experience, though not entirely unpleasant. When you were finished, you found yourself to be a large wolf, at least 2.2m tall. The four were staring at you in awe, the shortest among you now towering over them. You lowered your head onto the ground.

 _Climb on_ , you spoke with your mind.

“Telepathy? It’s a magic meant for divine beings, yet you’re able to use it…” Muttering, they climbed onto your back; their weight felt like nothing. You felt strong. Stronger than you’ve ever been. Gently, you picked up the Regalia between your retracted teeth, careful not to scratch the treasure.

“Watch the teeth,” Noctis stood on your fur, his nervous tone reaching your ears.

 _I know,_ you mentally rolled your eyes as you trotted towards the bustling town. As you passed the gates, there were watching eyes and chatters, but no one came to you with swords and spears. You swear you could hear the town OST playing in the background. Must be another dream thing. Both worked to your advantage, so it’s not like you were complaining. You were careful not to step on any people, which was easy, because your senses were heightened and you could feel where they were. 

Somehow, the map of the town was in your head too, and you found the gas station quickly. You were about to lower yourself to let the four drop off but they just hopped off your back. Right, you weren’t the only… weird? was that the word? person around. You set the Regalia down and willed yourself to return to human form. This time, without the ears and tails, and thankfully, you were fully dressed. There was a pat on your shoulder and you turned to face Ignis.

“Thanks, you really saved us back there.” 

Prompto leaned in to your ears, “I would’ve died if I had to continue acting like I was pushing the Regalia!”

You couldn’t help laughing. So Prompto _was_ acting! Likely overhearing the conversation Gladiolus wrapped an arm around Prompto’s neck and dragged him away, much to the distress of the younger man who cried for help. Ignis was already heading to get supplies and Noctis filling up the gas tank. You’re left standing, unsure of what exactly you were meant to do. Gladiolus’s words resounded in your head.

_So where does that leave you?_

“…Hey.” You jumped at Noctis’s voice, surprised that the Prince would actually initiate a conversation with you. “Y-yes?”

He was staring intently at you. It should look silly, the Crown Prince of a video game holding up the nozzle of a fuel dispenser as his brows creased in concentration, but it only served to make your maiden heart beat faster.

 _Woah, mate. _Calm your beating heart._ _ You scolded yourself as you recalled the spoilers on the FFXV forums. _He has a happy ending with Luna._

“You said you were a Shapeshifter?” This time your heart beat fast for a different reason than the one in the song. You nodded slowly; did he figure out it’s a hoax? Despite the way he acted, Noctis did have the upbringing of a prince. His frown deepened, and you wondered if you should tell them you’ll be fine alone after all.

“Your fur…”

Fur? Ah. Your wolf form.

“It’s really… soft.” You wondered if he meant it as a compliment, or – “If you don’t mind, I’d… like to touch it again.” There was a light flush on his cheeks as he seemingly forced the words out. That’s right, Noctis loved animals. Did that earn you some points with him? You sure hope it did, and you nodded.

“Sure.” He brightened up at that. _Cutie._

Then Gladiolus returned with a groaning Prompto behind him. “Hey, Iris sent a text. Said she’s at Leville.”

Noctis removed the nozzle. “Right. Let’s go.”

As though it was perfectly natural, Noctis led the way, everyone else following his lead. Just like a king with his followers. You found yourself trailing behind with a half limping Prompto.

“Are you okay?” You found yourself asking. He turned to you with a comedic grimace. 

“Gladios doesn’t know how to hold back! I can’t believe how he’s related to Iris! Oh, Iris is Gladios’ younger sister, by the way.” He lowered his voice, “She’s one of those that fortunately managed to make out of Crown City…”

 _I know_. “I see…”

Ignis still caught wind of Prompto’s words and spoke up. “Prompto, don’t go telling her all that. She’s still on _trial_.” And the Ignis you liked was nowhere to found any longer as the five of you headed for the Leville. 

It was happening as scripted. At the entrance, you halted because Noctis had a headache the same time as the short tremor.

“What’s wrong?”

“Somehow my head just started throbbing… or so I thought.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. It’s gone.”

It wasn’t possible to miss the relief on the other three’s faces, not when they were this upclose. Ah, bromance. When you stepped into The Leville, you were surprised at how homey it felt. Perhaps it was the furniture, or the lighting, or the smell. You felt the sudden urge to use the toilet, and excused yourself. As you found relief, you wondered if you should just stay here because you knew what was coming  next. Their heavy talk with Iris.

In the midst of your pondering, you noticed something glowing at the corner of the wall. A FFXV insignia, a quick but very real reminder that this was a dream and you were inside a video game. As you reached out your hand to touch the insignia, your ring began to glow too – a similar design was magically carved onto it, and your surroundings turned a red glow blue.

“Hey, what’s wrong?!” Gladiolus was pounding on the door, but he sounded far off. The Leville was dimming, fading as blue orbs glowed brighter.

You were awake, yawning. The stupid sun was shining on your stupid face and it burned. Morning already. You sat up feeling oddly unsettled. Did you perhaps have a dream? –Actually, who gives a fuck. It’s Thursday, and Thursday meant 9am classes. You shouldn’t waste your time wondering about some dream you couldn’t even remember when reality was thrown into your face.

 

* * *

 

 

It took forever for you to find the Japanese dub you were looking for on Youtube. Then you found it; the ending scene. Their final camp, the one after the timeskip. You couldn’t have been more grateful for whatever knowledge you had of the language; the English subtitles were bull.

Noctis was thanking them.

They were crying.

You were crying.

“I…” Noctis smiled, and the screen turned black. “Love you guys!”

_Fuck this shit!_

You dropped your phone and sniffed, trying to hold in your gross snot as you dug your face into the sheets. It was 4 in the morning, and your phone had 37% left from the 100% you’d charged earlier that night. 63% all spent on watching FFXV videos, and you had no regrets.

Why the fuck was the ending like that?

You heard stirring from somewhere in the house, a reminder to _sleep_. You had to wake up at 6 if you wanted to reach school on time. Which you didn’t. But needed to. So you dragged your ass to the entrance of your bedroom, flipped the switch with your eyes closed and dropped back onto your bed wet with your tears. If canon wasn’t happy, your mind was damned well going to make one.

 

* * *

 

 

You’re in a toilet. You recognised it as the Leville’s toilet. You looked down at yourself. You were in your hood again, the red ring on your left index finger. Yup. Definitely FFXV. You turned and – the door was broken down. Stepping out, you saw a staff drop his tray upon seeing you.

“S-She’s here!”

Yes, you’re here. What’s the fuss about?

You were about to ask but he was dashing for the stairs and it was just what the hell is going on in general. Soon the gang was rushing down like the guy had up and they were all talking about the same time.

“Where were you?! We were so worried!”

“I swear you weren’t in the toilet!”

“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted a stranger. This is my mistake…”

They were all too close to your face, with the exception of Not Interested #XX Prince Noctis who still looked sleepy, and you leaned back when you were certain one of their faces was going to slam into yours. You could tell your pupils were contracting as your fangs lengthened and you were growling lowly without making an effort. Defence mechanism, you guessed. Your mind was saying to relax because this is how they _were_ , but nope, your body wasn’t listening to you, not today.

“Big bro, guys! Get your faces away from her!” And Iris was here, pushing the guys away by their faces. “I wouldn’t blame her if she clawed your skin away when you guys act like this!”

You’ve thought she was cute and liked her when you watched her scenes from the screen, but from this moment on you decided you _loved_ Iris. They backed off grumbling, and you could feel them making an effort at calming themselves down. Following their exit from your territorial space, your growling stopped. Seemingly unaffected by what you just did, Iris beamed and extended her hand.

“Are you okay? Sorry, these boys are going through sensitive times. I’m Iris, by the way!”

“ _Iris_ ,” her brother groaned at her description of them, but you could tell his tone was affectionate. You took her hand and it was warm as she gave you a firm shake. “Thanks, Iris.”

“What? You said she knew, so isn’t it okay?” 

You were wondering you should introduce yourself when you were met with Iris’s bright eyes. “Hey, hey! I heard you’re a Shapeshifter? Can you please please _please_ turn into a pup? I’ve wanted to have one for ages!”

“Iris!” Ah. This time, it was out of exasperation. But you smiled and nodded, letting go of her hand and taking a step back to put space between you and them. The knowledge came to you naturally, and you accepted it as a part of how your dream worked, then there was the feeling of your bones mending themselves again as you shifted before them.

When your eyes next opened, you were staring at Iris’s boots. She picked you up with a squeal, and rubbed her face against your fur. “OMG, so cute! Ahhh! Big bro, are you seeing this? Her fur’s so _soft!_ ”

You let Iris study and pat you all around until her hold was getting suffocating. The guys sighed and started to head for the door.

“We’re going now, Iris.”

They’re leaving already? You thought back to what happened in the story. Following the plot, they would be heading for the waterfall, right? So, a night passed between the time you woke up and went to bed.  _Wait, I’m coming with you too!_

“Wah!” Likely shocked at the suddenness of your voice in her head Iris dropped you, but you landed on the ground without so much a yelp. _Oops. Sorry for scaring you._

“Telepathy,” Ignis confirmed at her look, then bent down to speak to you. “Why do you want to come along? It’s not like you have a duty with us. We’ve barely met each other. Plus, you can settle down here. It’s safe.”

 _Nowhere will be safe for long,_ you channelled this bitter thought inwardly to the later chapters of the game you’ve not yet watched but knew about. What reason can you possibly give that will be convincing? You just wanted to hang out with them. It’s your dream. You should at least get to have a good time dreaming. 

 _Well... It’s, you know. Interesting? Not every day you get to see a Prince on the streets. I’ve always wanted to try going on adventures._ It’s as close to the truth as it can get. Their gazes hardened. Wrong thing to say again? This time it’s Gladiolus who knelt next to you. “What we’re doing isn’t a game. A wrong move, and you’re gone.”

Not like they’d know any better. You thought of Gladiolus’s scar, Ignis’s eyes. The game ending. Your eyes diluted. _I know what I’m signing up for. I’m not scared._ Not scared of dying in your dream, anyway. Plus you knew you can’t die _die_. You have a staring contest with Giadiolus, a battle you’ve won before it even begun. He sighed. “You’re the type who’ll come along even if we said no, huh?”  _Yeah_.

“Fine by me.”

The others nodded too. Noctis finally spoke for the first time that morning. “As long as you don’t slow us down. And there’s no space on the Regalia.”

You rolled your eyes so he could see this time. _It’s fine in this form, right? I can maintain it for days._

He stared at your cub form long enough for you to wonder whether he wanted to pick you up, and how willing you were if he did. “True. Specs, you’re in charge of her.”

“Why me?”

“’Cause you invited her for this trial period to begin with.” The rest agreed. You wagged your tail, pleased with this development, and hopped onto Ignis’s shoulder like Pikachu onto Ash’s. 

“Oh, right. You know all of us, but we don’t even know your name.”

 _My name?_ Crap. No way they’d believe your real name was a name from the FFXV universe. You needed to lie. Again.

_My name is --_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im still thinking what fake name to give "you" safcsgrgehl


	2. a prince a day keeps the poison away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> u forge a beau r/s with the guys :^)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sinful writing is easy when it comes directly from your head and is about you

“Al!” Noctis shouted and you were on it, jumping off the clearly oversized rhino and shifting into your wolf form as he threw himself onto your back. You charged for the creature with your head low so Noctis could see what was ahead, and with a throw of his newly attained Royal Arm, the Swords of the Wanderer, he shot past between your ears in a Warp Strike, ending the fight as the impact broke its horn and it fell in an ungraceful manner befitting its cursed species.

“Nice!” Prompto cheered from where he laid on the ground, laughing as his wounds closed. It’s been 4 days since then, and you still found it hard to believe that with Noctis’s borrowed power from the Crystal, recovery was speedy and weapons were pulled out of thin air. Even more unbelievably, they treated it as something that was natural. Which it probably was. You watched as their experience points go up by a pleasing amount, something you don’t understand how it worked; just did whenever you asked for it.

4 days in the FFXV world without waking up. You wondered how much time had passed in reality? The same 4 days? Unlikely. 4 hours? You were only sure of one thing – before you see another FFXV mark, you weren’t waking up.

And then there was the fact that you were a part of them (for now).

Ignis scouted the nearby area for any other possible threats as Gladiolus went over the creature’s corpse in search of useful items. Sensing no more danger, you shifted back to human. Weird how you were getting used to the sensation. Noctis came up to you, posture as easy as ever. Attractive as ever, too. _Shut up, me._

“That was good. This might be one of the best combos we’ve tried so far.” You gave a nod in agreement. Like the rest of them, you had Link moves you could use with Noctis. You’d raised the suggestion almost immediately after the departure from Lestallum, much to their surprise. From there you and Noctis had trial and errors of coming up with possible combinations in every battle. Be it in human form, or wolf form.

“Don’t work her out too much, Noct,” Ignis said in his usual lecture-like voice. “Alexia won’t be with us the entire journey, you know.”

Alexia. The fake name you came up for yourself, because Alex worked everywhere, and Alexia was the first female alternative that came to your mind. You still found it hard to adjust to your identity in your dream. You’d been called out several times by the guys for not responding to your name. “Maybe it’s not her real name,” Prompto had joked once. Little did he know, he was right.

You pouted at Ignis’s words. “You don’t like having me around?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t say that. You’re a great help. Well, much more than the other three, anyway. I’ll like to have you around for as long as you’re searching for a place to settle.” You beamed at his compliment as Gladiolus popped up next to him.

“Hey, hey. I can understand Noct and Prompto, but me too?”

The kind of small talk they made. With you here, with them. You helped Ignis with choosing parts of the rhino that seemed like they would taste good, and he gave Gladiolus a look which seemed like it said, “See, this is what I mean by helpful” to which he simply rolled his eyes. The tough skin gave the both of you a hard time and before you knew it, evening had come.

You guys wouldn’t make it to the Regalia before nightfall. It was parked 2 miles away. While you might have return to car as an option as a player, it didn’t help when _you’re_ the one doing the job. Ignis checked the map to decide the best course of action for the night, simply a formality seeing as the answer was obvious.

“We’re still far from the next destination… Both the Regalia and the next available lodging spot are miles away. It’s be best to camp out tonight. There’s a haven close by that we passed.”

Gladiolus gave a rare boyish “hoo-yah!” while Prompto and Noctis groaned, one louder than the other.

“Camp _again_?”

“It’s the third day in the row…”

“At least it’s not raining,” you pointed out smiling. You didn’t mind the camps, maybe because you haven’t had the chance to sleep in a bed here yet. The tent was much more comfortable than what you were used to from school camps (they were probably Royalty quality), the weather was good, plus the magic surrounding the havens kept Daemons at bay. And Ignis’s cooking. God, was his cooking _amazing_. The game wasn’t exaggerating. Your stomach growled at the thought of dinner, and you blushed. Gladiolus chuckled at that. “Well, let’s get going then.”

Grumbling about soft beds, Noctis led the way, following the trail of smoke from other people’s put out campfire. Gladiolus was already happily summoning camp items – you wondered if this was how the royal family’s powers were really meant to be used, but… Oh well, at least the man looked happy.

It was 9 by the time the tents were hitched, and Ignis was pondering what to make for dinner as he stared at whatever you had.

“I want meat,” Noctis announced unhelpfully. Well, he _always_ wanted meat. To be fair, the Prince had done more than his fair share of job the past 4 days. You didn’t know the specifics of what happens to the King as he uses the Crystal’s powers, but as you thought back to Regis, you realised it must be affecting Noctis more than he let on. 

You thought that perhaps, just perhaps, he deserved to get what he wanted for dinner tonight. You stood up from where you dropped the dry wood you were gathering to help Ignis. You had carrots, potato, flavoring, the meat from the rhino, among other things you didn’t recognise…

“I think stew will be good for you. Tomorrow’s going to be long day, so the extra health would help.” 

Ignis nodded, appreciating your input, but he was frowning. “That’s true. But Your Highness there doesn’t exactly favor carrots… Not even potato, with the way he is today.”

Well, you’d be this way too if there were any broccoli, or fungus for that matter. But carrots don’t have a strong taste, neither did potato. You let years of hearing your parents ranting about your pickiness of food come to you now. “The potato can be meshed so he won’t be able to tell. I can help chop the carrots so small that even Prince over there won’t notice.”

Widened eyes stared at you. “I’ve never tried doing that before. Won’t it ruin the taste?”

“Won’t know if we don’t try, yeah?”

“…Yeah.”

Turned out, Noctis swallowed the stew. He probably only tasted two things: meat, and the heavy flavoring from Ignis’s new spice. “Specs, this is _good,_ even for you. What did you put inside?” Gladiolus and Prompto grunted their agreements, stuffing their faces with a second helping.

You and Ignis shared a smile. Noctis looked between you suspiciously. “What?”

“There’s carrots inside.”

Noctis almost dropped his bowl. “What?!”

“Alexia gave me the idea of meshing potato and helped me chop the carrots into tiny cubes. Amazing, isn’t it? I hadn’t even thought of it.”

“But… But it tastes _good_ ,” Noctis exclaimed in disbelief, as though anything with carrots inside couldn’t possibly taste good. He turned to you, gawking. “How did you do that?”

Rather, you were more surprise Ignis had yet to come up with the idea. Still, you shrugged and grinned, happy that Noctis liked it. “It’s a girl thing, I guess. Always tried out new things when no one was home. I’m glad it turned out to your liking, Prince.”

He looked down at his empty bowl. “Huh.” Then his gaze snapped to you again, so sudden it made you jump in your chair. “Speaking of which. When are you ever going to start calling me by name?”

“What?”

“You call them all –” He nodded at the three in turn, “–by name, but it’s only Prince or You with me since that first time.”

Prompto tilted his head. “Didn’t realise that, but it’s true.” 

 _But that was by accident,_ and _you’re the Prince,_ you thought to yourself. Plus you’re not sure if he’d appreciate it… Calling him by name. He hasn’t exactly been friendly. Compared to the rest, he didn’t initiate conversations much outside of battles, and you automatically registered it as a sign that he didn’t want to speak when it’s not about hunting. 

“Is it okay? To call you by name, I mean.”

“Hah? What do you mean, _is it okay_. It’s not like I started calling you by name after seeking your permission.”

Well, that’s true, but. “But you’re the Prince.” Wasn’t that how royalty worked? 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Gladiolus wagged a finger in your direction as he swallowed the last spoonful of stew and patted Noctis’s head a few times. “Noct here ain’t that mindful of formalities. Doesn’t suit him one bit, haha!” 

Noctis smacked his hand away and made an attempt to smoothen his permanent bedhair. “Buzz off, Gladio. But he’s not wrong. I’d rather you call me by name than Prince this and Prince that.”

You knew that was his personality. Just didn’t think it extended out to you. “Then… You wouldn’t mind?”

He snorted. “No. Unless you do.” 

You shook your head furiously. How could you mind, when you spoke his name dozen of times every day to people you knew? When you were “Noct this” and “Noct that” till your friends rolled their eyes and changed the subject. 

Ignis cleared his throat. “Also, Iggy is fine with me. In moderation, of course.”

“Eh?”

“These guys call me that so often, it’s almost weird when you use Ignis so formally. It seems we’ll be travelling together for a while, so please, use that.”

“Gladio or Gladdy is fine with Gladiolus here too!” Prompto chipped in with a laugh. “Even though he won’t say it himself!”

Nicknames with them. _Nicknames._ It’s the first sign of true friendship they’ve shown. At least, that’s what you think. You nodded to acknowledge, and told yourself to try calling them by their nicknames. Just once. That’d be bad enough for your gay heart. There’s another subtle clear of the throat and you’re reminded of what you’re supposed to do. You sucked in a deep breath, remembering all the times you’ve said the word.

“…Noctis.” You whispered the name, the first time you ever said it so carefully. Two syllables; they rolled off your tongue naturally. You weren’t _talking_ _about_ him. You were _speaking_ _to_ him. What followed was silence. With your head lowered, you didn’t know what kind of expressions they bore; you simply didn’t want them to see your tomato red face. 

“Wow,” Prompto finally breathed, the first sound in what could only be minutes. “Is it just me, or the campfire’s suddenly too hot?”

“Not just you,” Ignis’s eyes were hidden behind his glasses as they all stood to clean up, leaving you and Noctis in a somewhat awkward position. When he showed no signs of moving, you shifted uncomfortably. “Um. Should I just… refer to you as Prince after all…?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Then he was up and gone.

O-kay then.

The night went by silently after that, the cackling fire calming to all of you. As usual, Prompto was the one who broke the ice, one of the rarer times when he succeeded with a suppressed chuckle in the corner of camp. You hopped over to him, leaning over his shoulder and wondering just what was so funny. 

He was looking through the photos he had taken today. More specifically, it was a photo of the five of you around a famous photo spot Prompto had pointed out earlier that day. It was a good photo, blessed with good lighting you could see the sky and the Disc in the background; Prompto really was an awesome photographer. Much better than you, anyway. So what was so funny...?

Then you saw it.

Noctis, standing next to Ignis, diagonally behind you. It wasn’t his pose, of course. The guy was a natural at acting “cool”. Prompto’s influence, you took it. No, it wasn’t his pose. It was what was _above_ Noctis.

“Oh my God,” you stifled back a laugh. “Is that... Is that, _droppings_?”

It was like the word popped a cap, and laughter spilled from both of your mouths. Prompto’s shot captured the moment before bird droppings landed on the Crown Prince. Why was that so funny? It just _was,_ oh God.

Gladiolus -- rather, Gladio, looked up from where he was tossing extra wood you gathered to the campfire. “What’s so funny?”

You ushered him over with your hand because you were too busy laughing with Prompto. Sharing quizzical looks with Ignis, who dropped his washing, they joined the two of you. You stepped aside, holding your sides.

“What on earth is so --” Then they saw it too.

Gladio was the first to laugh, a loud, husky sound. Ignis pushed up his glasses, frowning, still searching for what was out of the ordinary in the photo until it was pointed out to him.

“Oh my --” Then Ignis was pivoting towards the tent. There was shuffling and mutters and he made it out with Noctis in toll till they were illuminated by the fire.

“Ignis, what the hell are you doing?” 

“Hold _still,_ Your Highness.” Ignis squinted at where he likely thought the dropping might have landed and all of you saw the exact moment he found it. His expression could only be described as one of horror as he practically pulled Noctis’s jacket off him. “Unbelievable,” he muttered, displeased that he had extra work to do.

With all the laughter and stories, eventually it was time for bed -- Noctis was already snoring softly against his chair. You were almost _escorted_ into the tent even though you would’ve been fine with the outside. It was comfortable in your wolf form on nights like this when the moon shone bright and the air smelled fresh, but you let them nudge you inside and got the largest mattress usually reserved for Noctis, who was tossed onto a thinner material. It was all sorts of awkward with their throat clearing and hair raking and neck rubbing. 

You couldn’t suppress a chuckle as you lowered yourself onto the soft cotton and snuggled up into a ball. Was this their way of showing friendship to a new friend? This was something you wouldn’t have known if you’s simply played the game.

Then again, you reminded yourself, this was a dream. For all they may seem, this entire thing was made up by your head. Fiction within fiction. Just as you came to realise that after hours of staring into the darkness, a soft glow emitted from your ring. You hurried to clasp your right hand over it, hoping no one was awakened by the light. The surroundings dimmed, and blue soft orbs obscured your view as you felt yourself fade into them.

There’s a kick to your side and your eyes open with a groan. With a squint you saw from your clock that it was 6:24am. Friday. For some reason your nap had felt exceptionally long, but your body was exhausted. As per usual, you dragged your lazy ass out of bed to prepare for another unproductive day in school.

At least no one could stop you from fantasising in your head.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

It was before you drifted to sleep that it suddenly hit you. Bits and pieces of the vivids images that came to your mind in class earlier that day. They were from your _dream_. It must’ve been your first time remembering something from your dream that clearly. Then again, it was also your first time ever lucid dreaming to begin with –

You were falling. The sun felt too close, and in the distance you could see a large, dragon-like creature circling. You’re back in the FFXV world.

Wait. Fuck.

You’re _falling_.

Never one for shouting, your fears were vocalised into a short squeak as you saw the earth beneath you. It felt rather than looked miles away. Even if you tried to shift, you wouldn’t make it. You squeezed your eyes shut and prepared for the worst. Would you even ever hit land?

Then you landed on something soft that produced an “oomf” as it dropped onto the ground at your weight. Tentatively, you peeked one eye open when there was nothing but stillness.

Three pair of familiar eyes stared back. Beneath you, a frowning pair that of ocean blue.

“Can you get off me now?”

You scurried to get away. Not a _thing_ , but Noctis. You landed on Noctis. Feeling guilty that he was almost crushed under your full weight (or more), you reached out your hand to help him up.

“Where were you? You disappeared off halfway through the night.”

“We almost left without you.”

Prompto laughed at that. “No, no, Ignis, you were totally worried! You couldn’t even sit still for 5 seconds!”

“True,” Gladiolus affirmed.

“…Shut up.”

“So where _were_ you?” Noctis raised a brow as he insisted.

“Uh.” Because this is my dream and you all are part of it? And I disappear when I need to wake up so I can return to reality? If only you could say that. “I was out doing scouting and got lost for a bit.”

“Lost?” Ignis repeated. “But wolves can track scents, can’t they?”

The lie came to you easily. “There’s a lot of different smells in this area, so it’s easy to mix them up.”

Ignis seemed like he had more questions, but Prompto came to your rescue. Without meaning to, of course. “Ohhh! Well then, don’t stray too far from camp next time! It’s not safe at night, after all!”

You smiled and nodded. There was that. You helped clean up the area and the five of you were making for the Regalia.

“Where’s the next Royal Arm located again?” Because your memory sucked and you couldn’t remember the damned plot.

“Hah…” Noctis gave it a little thought. “Tomb of the Mystic, right?”

“Where the Titan is.” Gladio said with a fierce look in his eyes.

“Oooh, exciting!”

You skidded to a stop and they turned to you, looks curious. The Titan, already? You brought their stats into visualisation. No, they weren’t ready for that. Not yet. They would only suffer if they headed straight for the Titan the way they were now. Crushed by the God, buried by the Imperial army. They needed more training.

“Why… Why don’t we do some quests first?” You could use the extra training yourself; you weren’t proficient with how your body worked in here yet.

“Why? It’s not like we’re short on cash.” Noctis sounded impatient. Rightfully so; you knew he was worried about Lunafreya, and wanted to see her as soon as possible. Which would eventually happen if he gathered the weapons of the old. But you can’t give in.

“It’d be nice to help the people where we could. You know. Kingly duties and all that.”

“She does have a point.” Trust Ignis to back you up. “We can never have too much with us, Noct.”

“If you say so…” Noctis sounded unwilling, but it’d have to do. You certainly weren’t interested in finding out what happens if you Game Over-ed in a dream where there wasn’t Save and Load options. With that in mind, you hurried to the Regalia and instructed Ignis to nearby restaurants for Hunts available.

Not only the hunts. Any demonic creature you saw en route, you charged. You can feel the others’ disapproving looks, but it was helping. Their experience points were shooting up. Then entire day, you spent hunting. Searching, hunting, killing, taking, _gaining_. You didn’t even notice the change from day to night, that it was past midnight, until Ignis grabbed you by the shoulder before you could dash into another fight.

“Alexia, stop.” You could feel all the strength leave your legs and you would’ve fell if not for Ignis’s support. Now that your mind was clear, you could see that you almost charged towards a daemon that was too high levelled than all of you. You would’ve died even before reaching Titan.

“Hey, you okay? You overdid it.”

You managed a weak nod. “Just... tired.” You hardly ever worked out; your mind probably couldn’t keep up with the sudden change. “Sorry but can you carry me to the motel...?”

“Not a problem. Just rest for now.”

You couldn’t even manage a thanks before you shifted into your pup form and was settled into one of their jackets. Sleep came before Noctis even started up the car, and it was all too soon that you felt gentle strokes to your ear, the signal that dinner was here. Lazily you shifted back to human, still sprawled out on the bed. You groaned when Noctis tugged at your wrist half-heartedly. You’re _tired_.

“I know how you feel,” he sighed because you had no doubt the Sleeping Prince did, “But you need to eat.”

 _How sweet_ , you thought to yourself. _Is he worried?_

“Or Ignis will never let me hear the end of it.”

 _...Yeah, right_. You let him drag you into an upright position and a warm bowl of curry rice was placed between your hands. It smelled like heaven, but you simply didn’t have the appetite. You took a few bites and set the bowl away. 

Ignis stared between your unfinished food and you, debating whether to ask the question. It was the first time you never finished what was served to you.

“I’m fine.” No, you weren’t. You felt feverish. Were sicknesses in here even a thing? 

“You don’t look fine...”

Someone’s talking but nope, can’t take anymore. You dropped again and figures surrounded you, all talking at once. You could tell they were talking about you but your vision was blurry and your head was throbbing. All faded to black.

You lost the concept of time and space. You felt like you were drifting between dream and reality. One moment you hear your friend’s voice, asking you about the last lecture you had; the next you find yourself in a flower field of Eos.

But then again, which is dream? Which is reality? Who were you? 

 _It’s dark._ You’re wandering in darkness.

“Alexia!” A voice, urgent.

Was Alexia your name?

“Oi! Al, wake up!”

Noctis’s voice.  _That’s right_.

You’re dreaming. This was the FFXV world. The journey with the guys. You forced your burning eyes open, waiting for your vision to focus. You were met with a pair of worried eyes, the same ocean blue as the ones of the owner you’d landed on just hours before. Was it hours?

“Oh, thank the Gods, you’re up. She’s up,” he turned and spoke in a louder voice to the rest. They gathered around you in an instant. You tried to sit up but they practically pressed you down onto the bed.

“Wha...”

“You were poisoned.”

“Poisoned?”

“Those accursed imps from the cave. I didn’t notice. It was almost too late. We almost lost you.” Noctis’s words were filled with self-loathe, and you wondered if he was remembering about his father. You reached a numb hand to his clenched fist. 

“Hey, I’m okay.” Probably not now, but soon. Noctis was pouring his magic into you, and you felt better by the second. If anything, you worried that you might have delayed their journey. Your addition wasn’t meant to be.

“We fend for ourselves out there, right? Just because you’re the Prince doesn’t mean you have to blame yourself for everything that happens to an individual, hm?”

Gladio chuckled, though there were traces of worry on his face. “You’re one tough chic, I’ll give you that much.”

You gave a weak, playful growl. “Don’t mess with wolves.”

They laughed. Thank goodness. You could feel some of the tension dissipate.

“We’ll stay here until you’re fully recovered. Then we head to the next tomb at full speed.”

But what about... 

“No buts,” Ignis insisted firmly before you could even open your mouth. “We need everyone at 100% on this journey. No objections.” It wasn’t a question. You swallowed your words and nodded alongside the rest.

 _Everyone_. You were included, for now. 

This dream was getting too realistic, and you wondered what you’d do if you just stopped having it someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wake me up  
> wake me up inside

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! <33
> 
> kudos/comments always very much appreciated!!


End file.
